Out, Up and Down: Creating space with different extensions

Posted on August 3, 2016 at 2:19 pm

Many of the clients that have come to us over the years love their home but have found that their needs have changed. From wanting space for a family room, a home office, an extra bedroom, bigger bathroom, or a larger more social kitchen. Rather than move, our clients have opted to extend. The most popular way to increase space is with a rear extension but this is just one of the many options available. Below are some other examples of how space can be added to your home.

Front extensionIf you have a large front garden, then a front extension will give you extra space without sacrificing land at the rear of your property. Some people opt for a porch extension. We’re not talking the sentry box look, rather a larger front extension to give your home a much larger porch and entrance hall. With this relatively small extension you can create much needed storage space for coats, shoes. Others opt for a much larger full-width front extension, either single-storey or two-storey, giving them as much space as a rear extension would.

Garage and loft conversionIf you don’t have room to extend outwards then you can look to convert existing space, such as a garage or loft (loft conversions are just behind rear extensions in popularity). These types of conversions work very well for creating an extra bedroom, family room space or home office.

Side extensionIf you’re lucky enough to have space down the side of your house a side-extension is perfect for gaining much needed room without reducing the garden size. Plus, if designed right, you could still keep a walkway enabling access to the back garden without going through the house. A side extension is excellent for creating spacious open plan kitchens.

Over the garage conversionIf your garage is built onto the side of your house, then building across the top of it is always a possibility. This creates extra space on the first floor of your house – Ideal if you need more bedroom space, a games-room, or if you’ve always longed for that large walk-in wardrobe or en-suite.

Basement extensionWe are seeing some people turning downwards for their space needs. The first photo above shows a large basement project that we are working on. The land surrounding the chapel (already a residential dwelling) slopes away on one side. The extension will be under the existing building (we have dug down by 3.6 metres) and then extended outward where the ground is lower. The part not under the chapel will end up at ground level where we are creating a stunning glazed terrace. Internally, two sets of stairs are being installed that lead down to the new kitchen-diner.

Knock it down and start againIf you love your road and neighbourhood but don’t feel sentimental about your house, then staying put and replacing your property is an exciting way to create extra space. The second photo shows a project where we are doing just this for a client. Originally a bungalow, we have knocked it down and replaced it with a five-bedroom house, giving the family their dream home, without having to move away from the road they love.

Combining optionsAs you can see, there are a plethora of ways to add additional space your house. We have many clients that opt for a combination of additions to truly create their dream home.